This is a traditional bread from New Zealand. I would love to visit there someday and have always found the food to be so amazing. It was colonized by Europeans in the 1800's. It is well known for its lush and fertile land. It is certainly a land rich with remarkable Polynesian heritage, and European elegance. When I first read about this bread, I was intrigued. It sounded like heaven on earth--indeed like New Zealand itself. So, I tried it and found it to be a very delightful and sweet bread. Traditionally this bread is baked in a deep pot. I used a #10 can, and then found a deep pot used for camping (blue) that also worked really well. The original recipe doesn't call for salt, fat, or anything but the yeast, water, sugar, and flour. I added 1 tsp of salt to mine, but don't feel like you have too. This recipe is from "Sam Choy's Polynesian Kitchen".
He got the recipe from Riana Mahe.
Maori Bread
1T yeast (I used 1 tsp and let it raise a lot longer which is more traditional)
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup honey)
4 cups flour, all purpose white (whole wheat use 3 1/2 cups)
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast water and sugar. Add flour all four cups at once. Mix until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Grease a deep pot. Place dough in the pot. Cover with a lid and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Mine took 4-5 hours. Preheat oven (or solar oven) 350 degrees.
After dough has risen sufficiently, place in oven cover pot with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Open oven, remove lid, and let bread brown for the last 15 minutes. Remove bread from the oven and take out of pan. The loaf will be shaped like the pot.
Wrap in dampened cheesecloth to keep the crust moist. Serve hot with honey citrus butter.
Honey citrus butter
2T orange juice concentrate
4T honey
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature.
Combine all until smooth and spreadable.
Enjoy!
